Go House Go!

Oklahoma House Republicans heard the cries of middle income families.
House Republicans, who had signed off on major income tax reform last week, reversed their stand and are proposing a more moderate reduction in the state income tax structure.
What hit a nerve was the elimination of the personal exemption for families. Under the Fallin Tax Plan, some have suggested that middle class families would be hit with higher taxes, not lower ones as Gov. Mary Fallin's plan touted.
The devil is always in the details and the Republican machine was hoping the Fallin Plan would get passed before anyone noticed that it just transferred wealth to the more wealthy and put the tax burden on the middle class.
Hold on, said many House Republicans and they put the brakes on the the railroad.
According to the Oklahoma Policy Institute - Families who itemize their taxes with incomes between $70,000 and $100,000 would pay more taxes under the Fallin Plan.
Parents with children, a house mortgage and give to charity, do itemize and under the Fallin Plan, they would lose many deductions.
Led by House Speaker Kris Steele, who said "We came here to lower taxes on hardworking Oklahomans. We're going to do exactly that with this new plan."
The new plan is based on growth triggers. It would reduce the top personal income tax rate to 4.5 percent within three to 10 years, depending on revenue growth. There must be a 5 percent annual growth in collections of motor vehicle taxes, use taxes, sales taxes, income taxes and corporate taxes apportioned to the general fund.
Finally, someone is really looking out for Oklahomans, who need to tax reform.
Go! House Go!

Will Rogers County follow Delaware County?

Rogers County commissioners are awaiting legal counsel on how to proceed in paying a $22 million judgement to Materials Services Inc.

Commissioners contracted with a Tulsa law firm as well as a local firm to study and give them recommendations on what will be the best course of action.

Should it be increase property taxes or sales taxes to generate the $22 million?

Following a vote in Delaware County on Tuesday, commissioners might have some idea how they might proceed.

Delaware County commissioners found them in similar predicament after having to deal with a $13 million judgement against their sheriff's department. They presented voters with an increase sales tax dedicated to repay the judgment.

Vote approved the increase in sales tax for a 17-year period over a 3-year property tax.

More than 7,000 people voted for the increase with only 515 against it.

In Delaware County, residents organized meetings throughout the past year to discuss ways to pay the settlement.  The sales tax increase will go into effect in July.

So, will Rogers County commissioners seek the public's feedback?  Or will they let the Tulsa law firm decide for them.

Commissioners need to hear from Rogers County residents as how to proceed. 

Mike Helm, Dan DeLozier and Kirt Thacker need to hear from county residents. At least that is who put them in office, not a Tulsa law firm.

Isn't time Rogers County residents decided how the bungled lawsuit with Material Services repaid. Since the former Rogers County officials can't be held responsible for the $22 million, but if commissioners do not include residents in the decision making process, Helm, DeLozier and Thacker will be held responsible when it come election time, maybe even sooner.

Hey, Oklahoma House members - pass SB 327, make sheriff elections non-partisan

Politics has no place in law and order. At least it shouldn't be a factor when an Oklahoma sheriff deputy makes an arrest.
An Oklahoma Senate bill being considered by the House could change the law enforcement landscape as we have known it. If the House passes SB 327, all sheriff races in Oklahoma's 77 counties would become non-partisan. No Republican candidates. No Democratic candidates.
I know my Republican buddies and Democrat foes will be screaming in opposition to this bill, but it take politics out of the Sheriff's office and that is a great thing.
We do not need Sheriffs and Deputies make traffic stops based on political party affiliation. We need a fair, object and letter of the law approach, which is best served by a non-partisan election.
So, I am calling on Marty Quinn, Chuck Hoskin, Ben Sherrer and David Derby to help pass SB 327 and make Oklahoma Sheriff's elections non-partisan.
It is the right thing to do!

Shout Out!

Here's a Shout Out! to this year's winner of the Claremore Daily Progress'  Progressive Citizen of the Year — Jim Smith.
Smith, the owner of Musgrove-Merriott-Rice Funeral home received the award during a reception on Saturday at the Will Rogers Memorial Museum.
He is the 24th recipient of the award.
If you have ever met Jim, you know he is never at a loss for words.
Smith is a frequent visitor to the Daily Progress. He always has a word of wisdom, an urging for advocacy and before he leaves, there is a lasting laugh from a joke or story.
“What do you have for us Right Wing Randy,” he asks and I often share the latest scuttlebutt from the community. For the real pulse of the community, I listen intently to Smith.
He is forthright, never afraid to speak his mind or express his opinion. He enjoys the joust of a good discussion with divergent ideas.
His optimism and sincerity weave themselves into the type of person anyone would desire to call as a friend.
So - Right Wing Randy is sending a Shout Out to Jim Smith.

Boren's Bi-Partisan Presidential Ticket, who will it be?

John Anderson

Ross Perot

Can you hear the whispers?

In the corners of the coffee shots, in the bleachers at the soccer games, even around the water coolers, who will be the real Republican candidate for president?

Mitt Romney won both the Arizona and Michigan primaries on Tuesday.  He garnered 47 and 41 percent, respectively. Rick Santorum was a close second with 26.6 and 38 percent in those primaries.

Since neither candidate has broken away from the pack, most voters are become disenchanted with their choices.

This bodes well for the Democrats.

On Tuesday, more whispers could be heard from Norman, Oklahoma.
Former senator and governor David Boren, now president of Oklahoma University, is pushing for third party presidential candidates.

We've heard of those third party, independent types — John Anderson and Ross Perot come to mind.

We remember how well they performed at election time.
Boren's group, Americans Elect, is working to get bi-partisan presidential candidates on every ballot in all 50 states.

"The two parties are just fighting. They're not working together to serve the country," said Boren, who was known as a moderate Democrat during his 15 years in the U.S. Senate. "I believe in the two-party system, but I believe it needs some shock therapy. Shock therapy not to replace the two-party system, but to save the two-party system by allowing it to work again and allowing it to work together."
Americans Elect have collected 2.5 million signatures and needs an additional 400,000 to get their candidates in the presidential fight.

They need 51,739 voter signatures to get those names on the Oklahoma ballot.
They are also planning an online convention where candidates from opposing parties would be in the ticket.

Boren has made it clear he has no intention of being on the ticket.

So, just who would be on this bi-partisan ticket?

Any takers out there to follow in Anderson and Perot's footsteps?

Touchy subjects - water treatment and security

Could be some trouble brewing right here in Rogers County.
No, not as simple as the pool hall in River City.
It's more of a public relations nightmare for the Claremore City Council and Rogers County District 2 Commissioner Mike Helm.
For the current council members, on their plate is a decade old problem that has been ignored. Because of those previous blind-eyes and out and out neglect, the city has a water treatment center that never has worked.
City voters approved an $11 million bond to build the water treatment facility at Claremore Lake. That was back in 2000.  What those voters may not know until now, is 12 years later the plant does not work.
Current councilors rejected a proposal by city staff to spend $249,000 on finding a way to fix the $11 million debacle.
Due to the 12-year neglect, many questions are being asked.
Why wasn't the original contractor held accountable? Why wasn't there ever a lawsuit to compel the contractor to make sure it worked?
What city official signed off on the plant? Someone, who is probably no longer on staff, had to accept the project as complete, though it never worked in the first place.
More problems face the city council as it tries to find ways to pay the bond. Remember, despite the water treatment plant not working, the city is still on hook for the $11 million bond.
For now the city council is facing more questions than answers.
As for Commissioner Helm, his remarks at a recent meeting about courthouse security came across as blaming the lack of funds for the lack of security. He came across as "it's not my problem."
But incident after incident across the country where a disgruntled person has entered a public building and shot innocent people is enough evidence to make security an issue just as important as repaving any country road.
Helm put the issue in the lap of the Judicial System, but security affects not just people who go to court, but any resident or employee that works or visits there, including Helm.
Because the issue was raise in public, commissioners appointed a committee to study and find a resolution to the problem.
In typical Helm-style, he has attempted to pre-empt the committees work by suggesting a 3-card Monte switch-a-roo with budget items to make funds available for security.
Helm should let the committee do its job. His disruptive proposal may reveal he finally sees that security is more important than he first realized. And, don't forget he will be facing re-election the fall. For the time being, let the committee explore the options and make informed recommendations, instead of off-the-cuff ideas.
By this time next year, there will be a new courthouse and there must be much better security in place, if the committee is allowed to do it work.

GINGRICH: Dangling a carrot

It's the natural way. Politicians throw out promises, most of which they know they can never keep, in an out and out effort to gain votes.

Former Speaker of the House New Gingrich has perfected such an art.

"With Gingrich policies, what we know is we will dramatically expand our independence in the world market, dramatically expand our capacity to produce energy without regard to our foreign potential enemies and in the process prices will clearly be a lot lower," Gingrich said. "Now, I picked $2.50 as a stabilizing price for capital investment reasons. It could easily go down to $2."

Speaking to more than 3,500 people at Oral Roberts University on Monday, Gingrich dangle the carrot.

Much talk has been made that motorists should prepare to pay $5 a gallon come summer for gas.

In a state that relies heavily on the sale of gas and oil, Gingrich knew what to say. He wants to expand the oil capacity, good for the consumer, but not so much with the producer. More domestic oil might mean less reliance on the Middle East variety, but would it also reduce the profits of oil companies?

Gingrich was playing the crowd while in Tulsa.

Will voters believe Newt?